63 Blacktop Obsession
"You get them put to bed okay?" Hector asked as he and Hawk waited at the bottom of the stairs for Shadow.
"Yeah, finally got them to bed. She is so excited for her new toys." Shadow laughed.
"Which one?" Hector asked, confused.
"Shay." Shadow replied.
"Oh, I would have guessed Kaiydn. What did you two end up ordering?" Hector asked, leaning on the stair rails.
"Just a swing set and a surprise. No biggie." Shadow grinned, clearly knowing how much he spent was going to be a big deal.
"Ah, really?" Hector shook his head. "I spent the entire time after she woke up telling her she could not have a swingset outside because well, she just shouldn't be out there." Hector laughed.
"I agree with you 100 percent. That is why I ordered two swings that I am going to hang from the rafters in the game room." Shadow grinned. "I know how to install things and they should be here tomorrow or the next day. But I agree with you, no swings outside." He nodded.
"Keyword, outside. Got it. Come on, I'll show you guys to the theatre room where you will be sleeping." Hector waved.
"What, no room?" Shadow looked around, knowing there was plenty of other rooms they could sleep in.
"I don't know, Holmes. Bossman said to put you in the theatre room. We got couches that pull out in there." Hector promised.
"Sounds good, sounds good." Shadow yawned as they walked through the house. He hated how the cameras moved and he felt like he was in an episode of Big Brother the way they seemed to turn and move. He felt sorry for Shayde.
"I am gonna go get blankets and a few things, you guys make yourself at home." Hector nodded as he worked to turn on the lights. "We can dim these later or turn them off." He showed Shadow the lights.
"Nice." Shadow nodded. "I am damn thirsty." He admitted.
"There's a fridge in here stocked with all kinds of drinks. Corona too." Hector promised. "Food in the cabinets over here behind the bar. Or I can show you the kitchen. Either way." He promised as he walked out.
"You good?" Hawk asked, looking around as they sat down.
"As good as can be." Shadow nodded. "I had to rub Shay's back to get her to sleep. Kaidyn didn't want to go to bed. She might be up before we get to sleep. I really don't know." Shadow sighed, looking around. He nonchalantly turned on his scrambler. "We need to figure out the capability of these cameras, bro." He nodded.
"Why are you saying that right now?" Hawk asked, looking worried.
"Don't worry, I put the scrambler on." Shadow promised. Hawk sat back, looking relieved. "I just don't know if he can zoom the cameras in to read phones or not. I know they move so he can move them. I don't know if he can talk through them. Just wondering. Things we need to find out, Miss Guru." Shadow mentioned out loud.
"I will work on hacking them. I don't think he's savvy enough to know how to talk through them, I haven't seen him do it yet. But it wouldn't shock me if they could." She replied back. "Hang in there, okay? You're doing a great job. I, on the other hand, not so much. My timeout box is being used right now." She warned.
"Oh damn. Madness or Mayhem?" Shadow asked curiously.
"Both. I gotta go. But I am still taking notes and am still here. So far, Brian's doing a great job. I am impressed." She nodded as she busied herself working. "Tell Shay I send my love when you get a free minute. And make sure the lights go out when the others join you." She warned.
"Got it." Shadow promised.
"How's things her way?" Hawk asked, looking at Shadow.
"Not good, not good. Time out boxes have been deployed." Shadow sighed, shaking his head. "I can't wait to get to beat that ass." He growled.
"Which one?" Hawk asked.
"Both." Shadow promised. "Hawk, why were you staring at her so much tonight? You had her freaking out. What would you have done if she had not been okay with you?" Shadow asked.
"She was always gonna be okay with me." Hawk promised.
"You are seriously confident there, bro. But why were you staring at her?" Shadow asked, looking at Hawk. "It's like you couldn't take your eyes off her." Shadow shook his head.
"I was too busy talking to Shayde at the hospital and to see you with her. She's so tiny compared to what I would have thought. She is just so little." Hawk shook his head. "She looks like…" He started.
"Don't go there, Hawk." Shadow warned.
"I'm just shocked she came out of Shayde, how's that?" he asked, folding his arms as he got up to go rummage through the fridge. He tossed Shadow a Corona.
"Yeah, I know she doesn't look a lot like her. I get it." Shadow nodded, opening his beer gratefully. He downed it and tossed it in the trash. "I didn't realize how thirsty I really was." He grinned, wiping his mouth.
"She's just … it was cool to see you two together." Hawk nodded. "She's very sweet." He grinned. "You're so good with her." He noted, making Shadow smile.
"Yes, I would hope I am." Shadow smiled. "I love that girl."he admitted fondly. "Everyone is going to be so surprised with the things we ordered. Kaidyn wanted to keep it a surprise so I haven't told any of them, haha." Shadow laughed.
"Yes, that will help keep her busy for sure." Hawk agreed.
"You know after we leave here, you gotta go off grid. He's going to expect me to kill you." Shadow warned.
"I will take the…" Hawk started.
"We can talk about that later. Just saying you gotta disappear." Shadow shook his head. "No mentioning anything like you are trying to, even with the scrambler. Shay and I will never ever even mention that out of our mouths, neither will you." Shadow warned.
"You're not worried he will call the arms dealer and ask about me?" Hawk asked, looking at Shadow.
"No, the arms dealer won't talk to Carter at all. Carter's got a bad rep with a lot of people. Shayde has a deadly one but at least people who deal with her know where they stand with her. She won't kill someone after a transaction just because she gets paranoid like Carter. No one likes to work with Carter." Shadow explained.
"I know you guys know him best." Hawk said. "Anything I can do to help, you know I am here for it." Hawk promised. "I worry about you wanting to come work here, Shadow. You sure this is what you want?" Hawk asked, looking at Shadow.
"It's what I need to do to be here to help them. Hell, no one wants to be here, not even Shayde. But we gotta get some stuff done, Hawk. There's just no way around it." Shadow admitted.
"I don't want something going wrong and something happening to you." Hawk explained. "I know you are worried about Shayde, she's worried about Kaidyn, but who's worrying about you?" Hawk asked.
"I appreciate you worrying about me, but I just need you to be worried about these girls of mine." Shadow said as Han and Brian walked in. "They are all that matters to me. If anything happens to them, I have no more purpose in my life." Shadow admitted.
"I guess we gotta have babysitters tonight, eh?" Hawk asked with a laugh seeing them walk in.
"Consider it a party. But yes, that is pretty much the deal." Han grinned with a nod. He grabbed some drinks and passed them out.
"Brian, I got your car ready. A bet's a bet. I can't believe you really did that." Hawk grinned. Brian looked at him and shook his head.
"I almost died because you dared me to say that, cuz." Brian laughed. "'Babysitter or sister' did not sit well with him. My life flashed before my eyes." Brian admitted.
"It was hella funny to watch. Should have seen it in person, it was funnier than the video you saw." Han laughed.
"Wasn't funny to me." Brian laughed.
"I only dared you to say it at the hospital because I didn't think you really would do that, man." Hawk admitted.
"Well, I did and I got me a new car now." Brian laughed, fist bumping with Hawk.
"Indeed you do. I am keeping it if you get outta this damn fucked up mess." Hawk promised.
"You mean when we all get out of this mess." Brian corrected.
"Yeah, because we are going to one way or another." Shadow agreed.
"I got extra blankets, pillows and stuff for tonight." Hector walked in, throwing the bedding on the couch as he plopped down. "I swear, that girl barely let me get a 20 minute nap in while you guys were gone." he laughed with a yawn.
"She been sleeping any better as of lately?" Shadow asked.
"No, but please tell me she's asleep now?" Hector asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Kaidyn or Shayde?" Shadow asked with a laugh.
"Kaidyn. I know Shay can't be without her sleep." Hector nodded. "One tries to sleep and one tries not to sleep." He laughed.
"Yeah, she needs her sleep." Shadow agreed.
"Kaidyn's asleep for a few. Probably not long though. She's not going to sleep once what we ordered comes in." Shadow grinned. "Sorry in advance." He laughed.
"What else did you order? Come on, tell me." Hector begged.
"Sorry, Man. I can't. I promised her I'd keep it a secret. Just know it's huge and it's gonna be a lot of work." Shadow promised.
"Oh no, that does not sound fun." Han rolled his eyes.
"It's a huge ass fish tank. 6 feet long, 4 feet high. It has led lights and a pirate ship in it and rainbow gravel. It's got the works. It will have a great filtration system, no worries. She picked out some really exotic fish." Shadow smiled proudly. "Don't let her know I told you." He requested.
"Exotic as in they'll eat our hands off?" Hector looked concerned.
"Kaidyn's too sweet to order anything like that." Shadow promised, making Han and Hector start laughing.
"This is the girl who played with a rattlesnake and she is no damn angel." Han reminded him.
"She is not that bad." Shadow argued. "We almost got a shark but I didn't want any fish deaths so I told her maybe we'll get one later and a new tank." Shadow admitted.
"I love her like she's my kid and she's that bad." Hector nodded. "Shadow, you spoil her." Hector grinned, making Shadow smile proudly.
"It's what...families do, right?" He asked with a shrug.
"She's pure chaos, I am sure of it. He's just got blinders on." Hawk grinned.
"You guys make her sound so mean. She's perfect." Shadow corrected them all.
"You need sleep, my friend." Han laughed. "I love her but do you know how hard of a time she gives me? She won't do her homework just because she doesn't want to do it. Not because she can't. She can get it done in days and just refuses. She's so headstrong and stubborn." He complained.
"Those are good qualities to have. I need her to be stubborn and strong willed." Shadow nodded. "Those might just come in handy being in this damn prison." he surmised.
"You might be right. But she could take it a bit easier on me." Han laughed. "She's gonna give me gray hair." Han laughed.
"I agree with that. She can be a little bit, you know what, never mind." Brian laughed.
"Hey, I replaced your phone she dropped in the coke. And she only made you do the pageant wave because she was keeping you from getting with Shayde." Hector reminded him.
"Yeah, I know and I appreciate it." Brian laughed.
"Getting with Shayde huh?" Shadow asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Wasn't like that." Brian kicked Hector's foot. "See, Carter told me if I hit on her, he'd pay me extra." Brian explained, turning red as he felt Shadow staring at him.
"Did he tell you to take her on a date and get shot at, Holmes?" Hector asked, folding his arms.
"What? Why you throwing me under the bus? She was hard to get to know, I had to meet them somehow. I was doing what I could just to get her to talk to me. You know this, Hector." Brian shook his head, knowing Shadow was going to be upset with him if Hector kept going.
"Date huh? I need to hear more about this." Hawk looked at Brian, making him blush.
"It's not even like that." Brian shook his head adamantly.
"Ya sure?" Shadow asked, raising an eyebrow as he cracked his knuckles.
"Hell yes, I'm sure." Brian promised, his cheeks becoming flushed.
"I don't know, you got the flushed cheeks, you tensing up, I don't know." Hawk shook his head.
"You got feelings for Shayde?" Shadow asked, raising an eyebrow as he stared Brian down. He sized him up, knowing Carter was still likely watching on the cameras.
"No, I don't." Brian looked Shadow in the eye. "It's not like that at all. I give you my word. It's all I got but I'm good for it." Brian promised.
"I'll allow it." Shadow grinned, shaking Brian's hand.
"I have no feelings for her, other than I want to help her. No one should have to live the way she's had to live. Her or Kaidyn." Brian promised, his gaze not wavering as he looked at Shadow. "We're gonna get you all free." Brian promised in a low voice.
"I can't tell you how much I appreciate those words." Shadow nodded.
"Blanket, Shadow?" Hector asked, getting ready to settle down for the night. Hector turned down the lights to keep Carter from seeing well as they sat around and talked, just in case he was trying to read lips. He checked to make sure the scrambler was still on.
"Nah, thanks though." Shadow nodded. He fished for his phone that was ringing. "Hello." He answered it, seeing it was Carter calling him.
"I need you to get upstairs to help Shayde quickly please. She needs help with Kaidyn." Carter said, his voice deep and sounding tired. Shadow jumped up and ran up the stairs. "Kaidyn's being ridiculous." Carter grumbled.
"She's a kid. she can't help it." Shadow says as he bolted up the stairs. "What the hell is up with this lock, Carter? Damn, did you really need a lock like this?" Shadow asked, hitting the door in frustration.
"The code is 678592. Hurry up before My Shayde gets hurt please." Carter said dryly.
"What's happening? I am trying to get in." Shadow messed with the door. "This is not practical to have this kind of lock when Kaidyn has episodes." He growled.
"Everything okay?" Han asked from the bottom of the stairs.
"I don't think so." Shadow replied, fighting with the door. He finally got the door open and saw Kaidyn bleeding and dripping in sweat running from Shayde. "It's Kaidyn, Han! We need meds!" He yelled over his was breathing hard and panting like she was not able to breathe. She was holding her chest, looking beyond anyone blankly as of she wasn't able to hear them.
"Kaidyn, it's okay." Shadow tried to grab her. She backed up from him. "Carter, I gotta let you go." Shadow warned.
"Don't let Shayde near her, I don't want her hurt. She's already come too close to hurting Shayde." Carter said with a grimace.
"I'll do what I can." Shadow shook his head, really irritated with Carter.
"Tell her to go change if you need those guys to help." Carter ordered.
"CARTER!" Shadow growled. "I am hanging up now." He promised. "Shayde, go change in the bathroom, we got her." Shadow ordered as he watched Kaidyn look around wildly, although not seeing them at all. She was in her own world, seeing other things he could tell by her blank expression.
"I can't breathe. Stay away from me." Kaidyn screamed, blood pouring down her nose. She kept backing up until she hit the wall. Then she turned and darted across the room, slamming into the wall, not able to really see from her flashback. She hit the wall and slid down, sobbing. She crawled backwards away from them all towards the door.
"I had this, why'd he call you?" Shayde asked, angry at Carter but asking Shadow in a miffed tone.
"Shayde, just go do it. We got her. I can't have you getting hurt." Shadow said, a bit more gruffer than he intended. Shayde looked at her tank top and shorts and realized it had to have been Carter to tell him that. She slinked off to the bathroom, angered at Carter and feeling helpless.
"Come on, Kaidyn, wake up." Brian coaxed, trying to guard the door to keep her from escaping.
"I don't want to go live with another family. You can't give me away!" Kaidyn screamed, shaking her head. She stood up and looked around the room, feeling dizzy as she bent over trying to catch her breath. She almost fell over but caught herself.
"It's this room. Carter, what were you thinking?!" Han asked angrily, it having been his first time up in Shayde's room. It looked almost identical to the room they used to have. He looked at silk sheets laying on the floor now, the blood everywhere on the walls and he knew what brought this on. He hadn't realized Carter had tried to do this room the same way he had her room from that night. Han looked at Shadow.
"How can we help?" Hawk rushed in, hoodie still on with Hector right behind him.
"We gotta get her outta here." Han shook his head.
"We gotta catch her first." Brian said, trying to reach for Kaidyn.
"Not now, Carter!" Shadow yelled, hearing his phone ring. "Call Hector if you need us that bad." He said, reaching for Kaidyn and barely missing her. "Damn it." he muttered quietly so Kaidyn wouldn't hear him.
"I don't want to sit on his lap. No daddy, no!" Kaidyn screamed, backing up away from everyone. Shayde came out of the bathroom and looked at Shadow, horrified at what she was hearing. Her phone rang.
"Shayde, stay in that bathroom until they calm her down." Carter ordered. He didn't want her to hear what Kaudyn was saying.
"What? Are you serious right now? Like hell I will." She fumed.
"Shayde, I can't have you getting hurt." Carter said.
"I need to be out here to help her, Carter. I don't know what is going on or what she's seeing in her head. The doctor told me to pay close attention when she has these flashbacks." Shayde said, watching Kaidyn struggle to breath. Hector had a needle and was waiting for them to grab her and hold her.
"I am sure not everything is a flashback. She has a brain injury. Surely some of this is not memories, wouldn't you think?" Carter asked, sounding very concerned as he tried to gauge what Shayde was thinking.
"Not everything is memories. Some stuff she says is pretty random and is likely from other sources like tv or things." Shayde said, trying to ease Carter's mind. She knew now that he was worrying over the things Kaidyn was starting to remember, knowing damn well these were from Kaidyn's memories and this had involved Carter. She wanted to throw him off and not let him know that she was learning new information everytime Kaidyn had one of these flashbacks.
"Yes, there's no way she would have any memories of me. I am her dad, why would she say that?" Carter asked.
"You're right, daddy. It wouldn't be you at all. You were there for her and loved her for all ten years and you still love her, right?" Shayde confirmed. "She'll be okay once they get her medicated. The brain does strange things when injured." Shayde assured him.
"I am going to let you go. I am turning in for the night. Please stay away from her until it's safe." He said.
"Kaidyn! Come on, Rapunzel. Breath for us!" Hector called to Kaidyn as Shadow grabbed her. She fought him hard enough he was starting to sweat.
"Come on, guys. Grab her legs so they can give her the meds." Shadow said, his veins on his neck starting to pop out a bit from her struggling. "Damn, Shayde, she's got our bloodline. She's fucking strong as hell." Shadow said through gritted teeth.
"I got her legs." Hawk promised, holding her legs as she kept kicking. She kicked Hawk in the nose, pushing him back. He grabbed his nose.
"We need more help." Brian started to get out his phone. Hector grabbed her arm and injected the medicine in her.
"We should be fine now." Hector said, watching and waiting for the Ativan to take effect. Kaidyn kept struggling.
"Yeah, not doing so fine." Shadow said, still struggling to hold her.
"Why would you try to get rid of me?! Why would you send me away to another family?! I don't want to sit on his lap and I don't want to go live with him! You can't sell me!" Kaidyn screamed, struggling to get loose.
"We need to get the meds in her NOW. More meds. Something stronger, Hector. Like yesterday." Shadow said, sweat running down his face.
"I'm getting the morphine." Hector nodded, looking at Han.
"That fucker can't hear shit right now. I just scrambled it. I am so pissed off right now." Shayde turned on her scrambler. "I confirmed with tech guru that we are safe to talk." She promised, leaning on the door frame of the bathroom. "Sorry I can't help with my own fucking daughter." She fumed.
"Sorry, Shay." Han looked over at her, feeling bad that she couldn't help with Kaidyn.
"I can't breathe. I don't want to go away. Please don't send me away." Kaidyn screamed, shaking her head back and forth. The blood and sweat running off her face.
"I got her." Brian nodded, laying on Kaidyn's legs. She grunted to try to move them. "Hector, I got a vein down here. It may bruise her but it's a good vein and it's the best chance you have. No way can you get it in her arm in a vein right now." Brian said, breathing hard.
"You're right. I am gonna go for the leg. We just need to get it in. She probably won't feel it anyways. This is the longest she has ever been out of it." Hector said, looking concerned as he drew up the medication. He injected her and waited as she began to quiet down.
"You okay, Hawk?" Shayde asked, not moving from the wall she was on.
"Yeah, that was crazy as hell. Do we need to get her to a doctor?" He asked, looking at Kaidyn, who was now only half conscious and her eyes half open.
"Han's as close to a doctor as we can get right now." Shayde said quietly. "He doesn't care about her at all." Shayde said, shaking her head. She watched Hector start to pick up the bedding on the floor.
"I got you, Princess." Shadow coaxed, rocking her. "Damn, you guys." He looked up and looked at the room, which was looking a bit like a crime scene.
"I need to get her down stairs and out of this room so I can check her breathing and oxygen." Han said, checking her pulse. "I want her ouuta here asap." he frowned.
"I don't want to go anywhere, please don't get rid of me." Kaidyn begged in a whisper as she stared at Shadow with big pupils, fighting to stay awake.
"No one's giving you away, Princess. We got you." Shadow promised, still rocking her and holding her tightly.
"How is she still awake?" Brian asked, still laying on her legs. He wasn't trusting getting up just yet.
"I need Shayde." Kaidyn cried softly, her eyes closed. "Please, just tell me Shayde's okay. She's not safe in this dungeon." Kaidyn started to move to try to get up.
"If only her mom could calm her down." Shayde said bitterly. "We are so fucked." She muttered.
"Shayde, it's going to be okay." Shadow promised. "I am sorry I yelled at you, I had to and didn't mean to sound like an ass." he promised.
"It's fine. You weren't. I know you were doing it for him. I get it. He heard the things she was saying. I am sure he is stressing over what she just said." Shayde admitted.
"Let's get her downstairs and get this cleaned up and then we can talk in the theatre room." Han suggested. "Hawk, I'll look at your nose when we get her situated." He promised.
"Thanks." Hawk nodded.
"Shayde, I will clean this up in here. If you want to go in the theatre room with them." Hector offered.
"Thanks, Hector. I appreciate you." Shayde said, following Shadow downstairs with Kaidyn in his arms.
"I am going to check her breathing. We haven't had to give her morphine in a long time. I mean, years. She's never reacted well with it and it always makes her panic because she feels like she can't breathe." Han fretted, looking at her oxygen.
"She breathing okay?" Shadow asked, looking concerned.
"She's good. A little slower but it's to be expected." Han said, looking at her pulse rate and oxygen.
"It worries me how long that one lasted and the Ativan did nothing to calm her." Hector fretted.
"Yeah, that was a bad one."
"He knows her memory's coming back. I'm worried, Shadow." Shayde said quietly as she sat down with a heavy sigh.
"No, we're gonna be okay." Shadow promised.
"Hello." Brian answered his phone.
"Is there a storm there? Audio seems to be cutting in and out." Carter said, his voice low and annoyed sounding.
"Audios cutting in and out? I can go wake Tej and have him see what's going on." Brian nodded. "It's raining out or was about to but I don't think it's storming." Brian glanced at Shadow as he turned on the lights to look outside.
"See? We're screwed." Shayde muttered under her breath as Brian left the room.
"Not necessarily. It's good he's listening. Guys, I am turning off the scrambler so he can hear us. Han, Hector, can you guys follow my lead and let's get him more relaxed about her flashbacks." Shadow nodded, wanting to ease Shayde's worries a bit.
"All are off." Han nodded, looking at Hector.
"Shayde, come lay by me so I know you won't be sneaking out to go play with your weapons or going to cause trouble." Shadow ordered, patting the couch beside him.
"I am not a puppy and I don't need to lay by you, geez." Shayde huffed.
"I have to watch Kaidyn and I need you over here so I don't wake her up because I'm watching you both. Now come on. Hector will get you a blanket." Shadow ordered, shaking his head, his voice in a no nonsense tone.
"You are so damn bossy." Shayde rolled her eyes, coming to lay by Shadow. Hector covered her up as Shadow put his arm around her.
"It's what I do. I just can't have you going and getting into trouble. Now, go to sleep." He ordered, starting to rub her back.
"I'm not tired." Shayde sighed with a yawn, hoping Carter was watching. They heard a crack of thunder.
"Yes, you are. You need your sleep. I know you are worried about her." Shadow continued to rub her back.
"Yes, I am worried about her." Shayde admitted.
"That's why I have you by me. Both of you are with me and I'll make sure you're both good." Shadow promised.
"I just had a thought. Han, did she watch that movie with you the other night? The one I told you about where the girl was kidnapped and sold?" Shadow asked, looking at Han.
"You know, she might have, now that I think about it. She wasn't paying attention, I didn't think but now that I think about it, that was in the movie. But I bet you that's where that's coming from!" Han nodded, as if the realization had just hit him.
"Shay, there's no way that she had a flashback. I bet that was a nightmare. She was probably in a dream." Shadow said after a moment in thought, purely for Carter's benefit.
"Shadow, as much as you get on my nerves, I hate to admit you are right." Shayde sat up and looked at Shadow. She wished she could kiss him in this moment, he really was brilliant in what he had just done and they knew Carter was listening. She felt like he saved her day just now.
"Of course I'm right, cuz." Shadow grinned at her. "She's sleeping, time for you to sleep." He said, making Shayde roll her eyes as he pulled her closer to him. "I don't want you sneaking out to go play with your weapons." He said outloud.
"I am not ten and would not do that." Shayde grumbled.
"I don't know, you might. Lights out. Hector, can you please cover her up and dim those lights?" Shadow asked as he settled back. Brian came back in and looked at Shadow. One glance was all it took for Brian to know no one had the scrambler on.
"Lights out, time for bed?" Brian asked knowingly. Shadow turned on the scrambler.
"Yeah, I just turned it on, can you see us talking on camera with these lights dimmed?" Shadow asked.
"No, but I'd turn them out to be sure. And I think we should all turn the scramblers on. Just to be safe." Brian shook his head.
"Good idea." Han nodded, turning his on. Brian turned the lights off and they sat in the dark, quiet for a moment.
"That was a great idea, Shadow." Shayde said softly, cuddling up to his side under the blanket.
"He totally bought it. I could hear him listening in. He changed to a better mood about halfway on the phone with me. I didn't know what you guys did, but he seemed to relax some." Brian advised.
"Good, that's what I hoped would happen. Glad he let us know he was listening." Shadow grinned. "Mr. Head of Security, that was a great help. Is Tej up working on things?" He asked.
"Nah, I guess once he decided things were okay and he noticed the weather, he decided it was just the weather." Brian shrugged.
"My weapons better not get wet." Shayde murmured with a yawn.
"If they do, we'll get them replaced or wiped down. Don't worry your pretty little head." Shadow promised, grinning at her.
"I love you, Shadow." She said as she began to drift of to sleep.
"I love you, Snow. More than you'll ever know." He promised, still rubbing her back.
"Is she breathing okay?" Shayde asked, fighting how tired she was.
"We got her. She's fine." Han promised. "See how stubborn she is?" He grinned at Shadow.
"Oh, I know. Too stubborn for her own good. Mornings gonna come quick." Shadow nodded.